A part of the Greater Victoria municipalities, Sidney is located on Vancouver Island, on the Saanich Peninsula's northern end. The Wsanec people, who speak the Sencoten language, are the original inhabitants of the area and lived in winter villages here for thousands of years before the arrival of the Europeans. Their name for the current site of Sidney was Settines, which, in Sencoten, means chest sticking out; that is how the lay of the land seemed to the Wsanec boat people.
They sold two forested tracts to the Hudson's Bay Company in 1852, and European settlers soon began making residence in the newly-designated North and South Saanich Districts. During the Fraser River Gold Rush in 1858, gold miners and speculators joined the settlers in North Saanich, and the town of Sidney got its start. It wasn't known as Sidney then, though. The town got that name much later from the nearby Sidney Island, which, in turn, received its name from Lieutenant Frederick William Sidney, a member of the Royal Navy's Hydrographic Service.
For a long time, the assumption was that Captain George Henry Richards, a naval officer with the H.M.S. Plumper and a friend of Sidney, was responsible for naming the island after him in 1859. However, with the discovery of the Admiralty Chart of 1847, it is now clear that the name change from the previous appellation of Sallas Island happened much earlier. The town became Sidney in 1891 after Julius Brethour named it after the island. The Brethour family, who had divided their 50 acres of land into lots for the new town, registered it as the Township of Sidney.
Today, with convenient rail and sea transportation links to Victoria and the BC mainland and its proximity to the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, Sidney is a popular destination for ecotourism. Along with its pleasant Mediterranean climate and bountiful flora and fauna, the town has many historical and cultural attractions. Whether you are coming for a brief visit or an extended stay, you will need to find the right hotel to make the most of your time here.
What Is the Seasonality of Sidney, British Columbia?
Sidney has mild temperatures throughout the year, but the best time to visit is between March to August. The weather is warmer in this period, with low chances of rain and snow. You can enjoy the beauty of the Salish Sea and keep an eye out for whales, many seabird species, and the distinctive Douglas firs. If you would like a cultural tour, Sidney has two museums, 12 bookstores, several cafes, many restaurants offering a range of international cuisine, a summer street market, and two annual parades.
As March through August are the busiest tourist months, hotel prices are likely to be high then and finding a good deal on a hotel room might get tricky. You should book your hotel room in advance of the tourist season.
To avoid the crowds and get a more reasonable hotel room price, you might want to wait until September through December. With the advent of chilly winds, rain, and snow, tourism slows down. As a result, you can get a better deal on a hotel room.
Below is a chart of the current pricing seasonality of hotels and motels in Sidney, BC:
Sidney, BC: Prices by Star Rating Class
Below we've posted 3 graphs illustrating avg. price patterns by star rating class in Sidney, BC. Browse these charts to determine the least expensive time to make a reservation in Sidney for any future trips.
What Are the Top Hotels in Sidney, British Columbia?
4 Star Average Prices: $279.00
To stay in one of Sidney's top hotels, head to the Sidney Pier Hotel at Seaport Place. Located 6.8 miles from the Butchart Gardens and five minutes from Victoria International Airport, the hotel has 55 non-smoking rooms with interior hallways and 12 suites with full kitchens. Along with a spa, a salon, and a fitness center, the Sidney Pier Hotel has a cafe and deli and a waterfront restaurant with a dining terrace. Guests can enjoy breakfast in the room, concierge service, laundry valet service, and the services of a hairdresser.
Driving southwest from Sidney, head 5.71 miles away to the Brentwood Bay Resort & Spa. Located in Victoria's wine country, right across from the Butchart Gardens, the three-floored property has 35 rooms and three suites that are specially designed to appeal to luxury travelers. Guests can enjoy grand views of the hilly landscape as they dine in the superb dining room, or they can linger over a drink in the Brentwood Bay Pub. They can unwind and get a spa treatment in the Brentwood Bay Spa, exercise in the fitness center, or go for a swim in the outdoor pool.
The hotel offers free Wi-fi, and the rooms come equipped with a jacuzzi, a hair dryer, an ice maker, and a minibar. They serve breakfast in the room and have laundry and ironing facilities. If you want to bring your pet, they have one pet room.
What Are the Budget Hotels in Sidney, British Columbia?
You won't have trouble finding budget hotels in Sidney. The Cedarwood Inn & Suites is a two-floored motel, with 39 rooms and 33 suites, and is located on the waterfront on Lochside Drive, with a private garden and views of Mount Baker and the Olympic Mountains. There are shops, restaurants, cafes, and banks nearby. The motel amenities include free Wi-Fi, free local phone calls, free cable TV, refrigerator, microwave, and tea and coffee makers. The motel is pet-friendly.
The Best Western Plus Emerald Isle Hotel is on Beacon Avenue, and has two floors, with 65 rooms and ten suites. They are all air-conditioned. The room amenities include a fridge, microwave, coffee maker, and iron and board. They have a family restaurant, a business center, a fitness facility, and guests can enjoy free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel.